


where late the sweet birds sang

by chidorinnn



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Nohr | Conquest Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 19:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7450999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chidorinnn/pseuds/chidorinnn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kaze betrays his home for a chance to fight for that which he should have protected long ago.<br/>An alternate support chain for Conquest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	where late the sweet birds sang

**Author's Note:**

> When Fates was first released, I tried searching for Kaze's support chain with the protagonist in Conquest, assuming it would be different from their support chain in Birthright. I'm forever weeping that no such (canonical) support chain exists, so here's a non-canon one.

It starts, predictably, with a fight with Saizo.

Most of Kaze’s more questionable life decisions do, though Orochi would argue that even if there is a disturbing correlation, Saizo’s stupidity, or arrogance, or stubbornness – interchangeable depending on the situation – is not necessarily the direct cause of moments like these.

But there is only so much someone can do to placate Saizo in times like these, and few can put up with him in such a state, Kaze excepted only part of the time.

“If you hadn’t brought that traitor back, then Lady Mikoto would still be here.”

Logically, Kaze knows that this is not a personal attack by any means. Saizo has been known to be needlessly blunt, careless with his words and ignorant of their impact. Logically, he knows that he should just stay quiet, acknowledge this reactionary flare of anger for what it is and not let it consume him.

But instead, he thinks back to Cheve, of King Sumeragi falling, of Corrin being taken away, and the anger doesn’t fade. He shouldn’t, since it’s an old wound by now, but as of late it’s all he can think about. The sting of failure is a familiar feeling, and it’s made him its home over the past ten years – and suddenly, it’s so much more difficult to ignore Saizo’s words as he knows, logically, he should.

“Then what would you have had me do?” he snaps back, and Saizo’s eye widens. They’ve argued often enough that Kaze fighting back, instead of brushing him off or acquiescing to him, shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Kaze allows himself some satisfaction that he’s managed to catch his brother off-guard _just_ this once.

Between the two of them, Saizo is _clearly_ the less rational one – Kagero and Orochi have said as much too many times to count. “You should have known better to bring Nohrian scum through the border, even if they were once Hoshidan royalty,” Saizo says coldly.

Because that is all Nohrians do, if you were to ask anyone in Hoshido – lie and steal and fight and kill, as if the world is their plaything. But Kaze has seen Nohrian kindness first-hand – owes his life to it – and wonders if a country that Corrin has willingly chosen to return to could truly be so horrible. Saizo wasn’t there in the Nohrian capital, on death’s doorstep and spared by a whim when a Nohrian princess – because that is what she is, even if everyone in Hoshido will deny it – wanted peace instead of more violence.

He hasn’t told Saizo of this, of course. Saizo doesn’t understand what it means to _fail_ , to have everything you were supposed to fight for ripped out from under your feet, as the world moved on while you struggled to regain your footing. And maybe it’s selfish of Kaze, but bringing Corrin back was so much more than a sign of thanks towards the Hoshidan royal family for tolerating him and his failures for so many years.

So when Lady Hinoka calls on him and asks him to accompany her to Notre Sagesse, he doesn’t say goodbye to his brother before he leaves.

* * *

Corrin talks of peace and an end to this seemingly endless war, and it’s all Kaze has ever wanted. Rinkah grips his wrist tightly, ready to pull him away at a moment’s notice and logically, he knows he should thank her for it, for keeping him grounded while the enemy threatens to draw him dangerously close.

But in that moment, all he can see is Castle Krakenburg, people that are Nohrian but not scum fighting for his life when he had no chance. And maybe, he’ll think later, it’s all just a stupidly stubborn ploy to prove Saizo wrong – but in a split second, Rinkah releases his wrist with a quiet sigh. “Do what you must,” she says. Kaze startles, turning abruptly to face her, and she frowns at him. “Why do you hesitate? If you don’t act now, you will miss your chance.” 

It’s horribly selfish of him, and he’ll hate himself for it for a long while – but he nods his head without so much of a word of thanks and slips into the room where Corrin still talks of peace and an end to this seemingly endless war. Rinkah doesn’t come with him, and he doesn’t expect her to – what she fights for will crumble if she does.

So Kaze positions himself in the middle of the room and bends down on one knee, bowing his head to Corrin as he should have done a long time ago. Princess Camilla’s hand twitches toward her axe, though her expression remains deceptively calm. Princess Elise, less proficient at masking her emotions, hides behind her eldest sister.

“Please, take me with you!”

Maybe, there were better ways to phrase that – “Please allow me to accompany you” is close to the original, maintains a sense of professionalism required of royal retainers. “Please allow me to serve you” would work even better, more to do with her and less to do with him.

But the words are out of his mouth before he can stop them, before he can even think of what everyone back home would say if they could see him now.

“Are you sure?” Corrin asks him. There’s no fear or hesitation in her eyes – they’re startlingly clear in a way they weren’t back in Hoshido. 

Azura fixes him with a pointed stare, and nods when he glances briefly in her direction.

Kaze thinks back to Cheve, and knows he’s made the right decision.

* * *

He should have known it could never be that simple.

It should have been fairly obvious, but it still comes as a shock when no one aside from Corrin and Azura trust him. He fought alongside them for Nohr, and yet everyone eyes him with the same brand of wary suspicion, falling silent the second they notice his presence even if he’s already been there for a long while. They must think he’s a Hoshidan spy – there are many ninja spies he knows in a position similar to his own – and he can hardly blame them for it.

Because the fact of the matter is, no matter how he tries to justify it, he’s just as much of a traitor to Hoshido as Corrin and Azura are. If Ryoma couldn’t forgive even them, then all hope of a peaceful resolution for Kaze is lost. 

He thinks of Saizo, about clashing blades with him in the previous battle. He thinks of harsh words that sting more than they should, because a lifetime together is more than enough time for Kaze to develop a thick skin, and of fists thrown in the times, too often, that their fights escalate into something physical. “Pretending to be Nohrian” is what Saizo had accused him of, and that’s exactly what Kaze is doing – rejecting his home and everything that is supposed to be right in the world, fighting for a campaign he doesn’t truly believe in because the person who leads it is everything to him.

A bowl of stew sits mostly full in Kaze’s lap, and he can’t bring himself to eat another bite, even though Lady Elise had been the one to cook that evening and it would be tremendously rude of him to refuse. He looks across the fire pit in the center of the camp, and sees Corrin sandwiched between Camilla and a blissfully healthy Elise, all three of them laughing about something or another, and he wonders if she could have ever been this happy in Hoshido.

 _Of course she could have_ , chides an all too familiar voice in his mind, _if you’d kept her safe in Cheve like you were supposed to._

Suddenly feeling nauseous, Kaze stands abruptly, clenching his bowl tightly in his hands, and tries to think of a polite way to dispose of the food without offending anyone and making himself look even more like he doesn’t belong.

Camilla and Elise leave then, bidding Corrin goodnight as they retreat to their tents. Corrin smiles at him from across the fire pit and beckons him to sit next to her.

Before he can, Azura quietly slips something into his bowl. “Try this,” she says instead of reacting to the way he startles, because he should have noticed her presence long before she noticed his. “It’s quite similar to umeboshi. You might like it.” His throat goes dry, and he can’t bring himself to reply.

Corrin pats the set next to her, and her smile doesn’t falter when it takes him longer than it should to shuffle over to her. “How are you settling in?” she asks, kind and gentle and everything Kaze expects. “Are you getting along with everyone?”

“As well as I can,” he answers – in the sense that no one has outright confronted him or accused him of treason. He doesn’t mention that the only two people who will willingly speak to him are her and Azura.

His non-answer seems to produce the desired effect, and Corrin smiles. “That’s good. It’s really difficult, being so far away from home and surrounded by complete strangers…”

Briefly, he wonders if she felt as lost and alone during her brief stay in Hoshido as her words suggest – and suddenly, there’s more guilt, because when has there ever not been guilt as far as she’s concerned?

“Lady Corrin…” he says slowly. “I… would like to apologize, for taking you to Hoshido without your consent.”

She blinks at him, eyes wide and confused. “Huh?”

Kaze swallows and looks down, unable to meet her gaze. “I simply brought you to Castle Shirasagi as soon as I confirmed your identity. I never once considered your feelings in the matter, and for that, I apologize.”

For one sickening instant, Saizo’s words echo in his mind – _If you hadn’t brought that traitor back, then Lady Mikoto would still be here._

“Oh Kaze…” Corrin says slowly. She rests her hand on his bicep and turns slightly towards him, but he still can’t bring himself to look at her. “There’s nothing to apologize for. I had to go back sometime, one way or another. And…” She gives a small, almost broken smile. “I’m glad that I did.”

“Then why did you choose Nohr?” The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them, and he winces. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”

“No, it was a perfectly valid question,” she retorts. “You’ve decided to betray your homeland for me, so you have every right to know.” She exhales slowly and presses her lips together. “I… It was awful, turning my back on Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura… on all of you. I regret hurting everyone, but… I don’t regret my decision. Regardless of what happened in the past, I have a family _here_ , and I couldn’t abandon them.”

She’d been laughing so freely and openly with Elise and Camilla – she’d never done so with Hinoka and Sakura. “Did you miss them? While you were in Hoshido?”

She nods, giving him a sad smile. “Every day… more than anything.”

Kaze bows his head. “And are you happy here?”

She hesitates for a moment, but then she nods vigorously. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”

And maybe, that’s all Kaze needed. Suddenly, it’s so much easier to breathe, and it feels as if a tremendous weight has been lifted from his chest. He tries one of the vegetables Azura had slipped into his bowl earlier, and it’s just as sour as she promised. “Lady Corrin… I can’t thank you enough.”

_[Corrin and Kaze have attained support level C.]_

* * *

The nightmares start soon afterward. 

Kaze can never really describe how they begin – only that, before long, he’ll find himself back in Cheve. His father isn’t at his side, and this is perhaps the only indicator that this is a dream and not a memory. He knows exactly what will happen – King Sumeragi will fall, betrayed by King Garon, and Corrin will be taken away.

 _This time, I’ll do things right_ , Kaze promises as he somehow, impossibly, slips into the front lines and throws himself between Corrin and King Garon. It’s foolish of him, to expect to stand on an equal playing field with someone so powerful, and, naturally, he loses. King Garon’s large hand looms before him, reaching out towards him, and the next thing he knows, Kaze is in Castle Krakenburg, ten years older, with his hands bound in shackles. He knows that this is a dream and not a memory because Rinkah is not at his side.

He knows exactly how this fight will play out – Corrin will triumph with her servants’ assistance, and then beg her father to spare his life. But maybe, if he were to just take her now, things would be better. So he does – and she drops her cursed sword, and Kaze smiles because if she leaves the sword behind, then Mikoto won’t die protecting her from it. He knows that this is a dream because he makes it to the castle gates with minimal interference, as if he wasn’t taken prisoner just a short while ago.

A Nohrian soldier blocks his path, and Kaze flings his shuriken at him reflexively. Just a little further, and Corrin will be safe.

And then, everything becomes frighteningly cold. Suddenly, it’s not a Nohrian soldier in front of him but Saizo – Saizo nearly doubled over in pain, dark red blooming across his shift, face utterly pale as the light leaves his eyes – and this is Kaze’s fault, because Kaze was the one who betrayed him, fought him for the sake of stupid, incomprehensible pride, and–

–and someone is shaking him awake and calling his name repeatedly.

“Saizo,” he chokes out as he bolts upright, and his eyes are burning with tears in a shameful display he will no doubt regret later. “Saizo, please–”

He’s immediately pulled into someone’s arms, and this should be enough to tell him that it was not his brother who woke him – but he’s shaking so much that he can’t do anything but lean against whoever it is next to him and try to compose himself. He should be used to this – it’s not the first time he’s had this dream.

Then, his companion leaves him, and everything turns unbearably cold. Kaze shivers, his hands bunching around the thin woolen blanket covering him. This is his own fault, he has to remind himself. He made this choice.

And then, there’s a glass of water before his eyes. Whoever is now there by his side doesn’t say a word as he takes the glass from them, but their hands don’t leave his, steading him when his hands can’t stop shaking otherwise. “Are you okay?”

Somehow, he should have known that it would be Corrin by his bedside. If not her, then Azura. Still, Kaze can’t bring himself to look her in the eye, and he nods as he sips the water slowly. There’s a candle by his bedside, dim and flickering, and he wonders, briefly, if he’d disturbed anyone else.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Corrin asks him, gentle as ever.

Kaze shakes his head. “It’s nothing I cannot deal with on my own,” he says. His voice sounds harsh and grating in his ears, and his words may have come out unnecessarily rude and dismissive.

Corrin’s hands slide off of his, and thankfully, his hands aren’t trembling so badly that he can’t hold onto the glass himself. “I get nightmares too, you know,” she says quietly. “About killing Hoshidan soldiers. Azura says I didn’t have a choice, but… I’m not so sure.”

“If you hadn’t, then your loved ones would have been hurt,” he whispers. He thinks, though he tries to stop himself from doing so, back to that awful day in Cheve.

They sit in silence for a while, and Kaze finishes the glass and sets it down next to him. Corrin fidgets, wringing her hands together for one moment, and then running her fingers through her hair the next.

“Um…” she mumbles, looking downward. “Who’s Saizo?” It’s not like he didn’t expect her to ask, but the question still catches him off-guard. “I’m sorry… It’s just that you were calling that name in your sleep, and you looked like you were in so much pain…”

Saizo would scold him for feeling even the tiniest bit of happiness that she cares. “He’s my brother,” he admits. “Currently, he serves as Lord Ryoma’s retainer, along with a friend of ours, Kagero. I don’t think you’ve met him. If you have, only in passing. He… didn’t approve of my decision to join you.”

She smiles sheepishly at him. “Well, I don’t exactly blame him.”

He chuckles in response, but it sounds broken and splintered to his ears. “If he knew that, then I think you two would get along quite well. Though it’s rather difficult to get along with my brother in general.” He allows himself a small smile. “Always wary and cautious, suspecting everyone of treason even if everyone around him says otherwise, watching everyone he suspects uncomfortably closely…”

Corrin’s pout looks quite similar to an expression he’s seen on Elise on multiple occasions. “It doesn’t sound fun to be on his bad side.”

Kaze laughs again, much more easily. “It most certainly is not.”

“You sound like a much nicer person.”

And just like that, all mirth and levity in the conversation is gone. “That couldn’t be farther from the truth, milady.”

“H-Huh?” She blinks at him, eyes going wide. “That’s not true! You’re…” She clasps her hands together firmly. “You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”

“Please don’t jest, milady.”

“But I’m not! You really are–”

“Please stop.”

Because a kind person would never betray their family, or fail so spectacularly as to allow someone they were supposed to protect to get taken hostage by the enemy.

“Ah… okay,” Corrin says slowly, awkwardly. “I’ll leave you to rest, then. Good night, Kaze.”

_[Corrin and Kaze have attained support level B.]_

* * *

He was wrong about Saizo. He was so, so wrong.

There was no time to talk in Mokushu – no time for Saizo to say more than the fact that their father was murdered and not granted an honorable soldier’s death, no time for Kaze to try to explain his reasoning, as flimsy and vague as it sounded to him. Saizo was just there one moment, helping them through the various traps Kotaro’s men had set up, and then gone once the battle was over.

And then, there’s a teacup under his nose. Kaze blinks at it for a moment before turning his head slowly to the side and trying very hard not to laugh at Corrin refusing to meet his gaze, her face flushed bright scarlet. “I-I made you tea,” she says shakily. “I promise it’s edible. Jakob supervised.”

Kaze laughs, and doesn’t tell her that he would have drunk it anyway, despite the fact that Silas was bedridden for nearly the entire last week after drinking her first attempt at brewing tea. She’s let the tea leaves steep for too long, and there’s too much sugar, but it soothes him. Corrin fidgets next to him, wringing her hands together. “It’s good,” Kaze whispers, and can’t help but smile when she startles.

“R-Really?” she says. “You’re not just trying to make me feel better? Because Jakob did that, and–”

Kaze laughs. “No, no. You need not worry.” He takes another long sip for good measure.

She exhales shakily and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “So you _are_ okay… that’s good. I was worried that… I mean, since we…”

Perhaps, it was too much to expect that she’d drop the issue with Saizo. For a moment, Kaze stares at his reflection in the teacup, unsure of what to do.

“Are you?” Corrin asks quietly, almost shyly. “Okay, I mean.”

“I wasn’t injured, milady,” Kaze answers smoothly. “My skills haven’t dulled, and I–”

“That’s not what I meant!” Her voice is loud enough that the people close enough to hear her turn to stare. Corrin seems to realize her blunder soon enough, and she covers her mouth with one hand and mumbles a quick apology. “Why did you follow me, Kaze?” she asks, quieter this time.

He frowns. “I thought we already discussed this, milady. You spoke of peace and an end to this war, and I wished to help you achieve that.”

She shakes her head. “But there’s more to it than that.” Kaze sighs again and wonders how rude it would be to just disappear right then and there – it’d be laughably easy to leave without her noticing at all. But then, Corrin takes a deep breath, and she presses her lips together in something akin to discomfort as she bows her head, a curtain of her hair falling so that it’s hard to see her face. “Kaze… I _do_ trust you. And I care about you a lot. It’s just that… sometimes, it’s obvious that you’re in pain, and I have my duty towards my soldiers, so if there’s anything at all I can do to help…”

Kaze shifts, gripping the teacup tightly with both his hands. Corrin isn’t Saizo, he has to remind himself – she won’t respond with harsh words of disapproval and criticism, even though that’s what he absolutely deserves. And maybe, if he can’t bring himself to talk about Saizo, then he should at least talk about _something_.

“A long time ago, in Cheve…” he starts, his voice shaking slightly as he sets down the teacup, “I accompanied King Sumeragi to a peace conference hosted by the Nohrian king. I noticed Nohrian forces in the city… the same forces that would later kill King Sumeragi and take you away… but because I didn’t stop to think of what that could possibly mean, I did nothing. I was… I am a worthless servant.”

“Wh-What?” Corrin says shakily. “That’s not true! You were a child! How were you supposed to know what would happen?”

“But I should have known regardless!” He clenches his fists tightly and tries to ignore that Camilla is now working on herding away everyone who stops to watch his conversation with Corrin. Now, it’s hard to stop and filter the words that are spilling out too quickly for him to control. “I come from a long line of ninja that serve Hoshidan royalty, and I began training at a young age. I, of all people, should have known, and I did _nothing_.” Then he buries his face in his hands. Surely, Corrin will dismiss him from her army for such incompetence.

“But you _did_ bring me back to Hoshido.”

It’s shameful, but the most Kaze can do is peek at her from between his fingers. “Wh-What?”

Corrin smiles and looks down at her hands folded in her lap. “And when I decided to leave, you followed me… and you continue to fight for me to this day. Whatever debt you believe you owe me has been paid tenfold.”

Kaze drops his hands abruptly and bolts upright. “But Lady Corrin, I–”

She takes one of his hands in hers and squeezes it gently. “Hush,” she says as she rubs circles into his hand with her thumb. “It’s in the past. Just as you insist that you should have foreseen what would happen that day, I will insist that the time I spent in Nohr as a result was _never_ your responsibility.” She giggles, closing her eyes. “And I will fight you to the death on this.”

With a long, weary exhale, Kaze slumps into her, his head falling onto her shoulder. Later, he’ll want to throw himself prostrate before her and apologize for his presumptuousness, but for now, propriety is the furthest thing from his mind. He feels lighter, somehow, though there’s a voice in his head – a voice that sounds suspiciously like Saizo – that tells him that it shouldn’t really be this simple. For the first time, Kaze wills that voice to be silent. “Then it seems I have no choice.” 

Her head falls lightly on top of his, and her grip on his hand tightens ever so slightly. “Of course.” 

They sit like that for some time, and everything around them is blissfully silent. There are no Nohrian soldiers within the vicinity that mean her harm. “Lady Corrin?” Kaze says without moving from his position.

“Mm?” she responds.

“Are you happy?”

She shifts, and suddenly she’s very, very close. “Yes. Very.”

_[Corrin and Kaze have attained support level A.]_

* * *

Somehow, impossibly, he manages to catch her alone just before they embark for Hoshido’s capital. She’s asleep at the table in her tent, her head resting in her arms over stacks of paper splayed before her. She looks so peaceful there that Kaze almost doesn’t want to disturb her, and for a few long moments, he lingers by the entrance with his arms crossed and his face tucked partially into his scarf. There are enough in the camps who’d be able to protect her far better than Kaze can, in the case of an emergency. Perhaps, in no time at all, one of her siblings will march in and demand that he leave her alone to rest – which he probably should, except he can’t tear his eyes away from her.

Because Corrin is _there_ – in what he would have believed at one point to be the enemy’s clutches, but safe and happy. Perhaps, though her family in Hoshido would disagree, forever grateful for that fateful day in Cheve. And… now they’re going back home. Both of them.

Corrin stirs and her brow furrows, though she doesn’t open her eyes. “Kaze, I can hear you thinking all the way from here.”

Kaze startles, and he will deny for days to come that he cried out and almost fell over in surprise. But then, Corrin smiles at him, and he sits next to her like before, though not quite as close. “What’s troubling you today, Kaze?” she asks, teasing.

Kaze crosses his arms and frowns. “To be perfectly honest, I came here with no concerns, though now it pains me to know that you only ever see me as a man who will only ever ask you to bear his burdens.”

“To be perfectly honest,” she says, mimicking his tone, “you never did anything of that sort.”

He sighs. “I have to wonder if we’ve ever had a conversation that didn’t eventually lead to you consoling me for some trifling personal matter.”

“They were hardly _trifling_ ,” she retorts, “and if I can’t help those who fight for my life, then what kind of a leader am I?” She brushes some of his hair from his eyes and cups her hand around his face. “It doesn’t always have to be that way, of course… so why don’t you tell me something that makes you happy?”

Selfishly, Kaze leans into her touch and closes his eyes. “I’m really am blessed.”

“Hm?”

He smiles. “You’re very kind, Lady Corrin. Every day, I find myself more and more grateful that you saved me. Do you remember? Back in the Nohrian capital, where I was a hostage forced to fight for my life.”

She smiles and nods. “I remember.”

“You know…” As he shifts, she withdraws her hand. “Lady Mikoto let me stay in the castle after I failed you in Cheve. I should have paid for that mistake with my life, and yet–”

“Kaze, _please_ ,” she cuts him off. “It’s over. It’s in the past.”

“I know, but–”

“I just hate seeing you like this!” Her fists are clenched on her lap, and her head is bowed low. “Whenever we talk about me, or your brother, or even just _Hoshido_ , you seem to be in so much pain… and I would take that pain from you, if I could. But for the time being, if there is anything I can do to ease that burden, then please–”

But then, Kaze laughs. “I don’t speak from a position of pain and regret, Lady Corrin,” he says. “Not this time.” He raises her head with one hand under her chin, and looks directly into her eyes. “Had you stayed safely in Hoshido, perhaps I would be your retainer. Regardless, I would still be fighting by your side, and nothing would be different. The same conclusion would be reached, albeit with different circumstances.”

“Do you really think so?”

“For my time in Hoshido, though I served the royal family, I had no singular master. I do believe that Lady Mikoto foresaw that I would serve you one day.”

Surprisingly, her face falls. “Oh…”

“L-Lady Corrin?”

But then, she forces a smile. “You wish to become my retainer, correct?” she asks. “Then I accept! If… If that will make you truly happy.”

He frowns. “Is something wrong?”

“N-No, not at all!” she replies automatically. “It’s just that… it doesn’t seem fair. You always ask if I’m happy, and I am!” There’s a twinge of pink at her cheeks, and she averts her eyes downward. “You’ve made me happier than I can even imagine, Kaze… but I have yet to do the same to you. And to force you to serve me before I can do so would be horribly selfish of me.”

He shakes his head. “You _have_ made me happy, Lady Corrin. To have you here, happy and safe… it’s all I’ve ever dreamed, since Cheve. And…” He bows his head, partially burying his face in his scarf. “It would be horribly selfish of _me_ to ask for anything more than to be your humble servant.”

In an instant, she gives up all pretense, and her face crumples into something closer to sadness than the forced cheer of before. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “It’s selfish of me, but… I don’t want you to be my retainer. To force that role upon you would create a barrier between us, and I…” She swallows, and wrings her hands together. “I love you too much to do that to you.”

In an instant, Kaze’s heart stops. “Oh.” Unable to help himself, he smiles. “You’re a cruel mistress, milady. I wished to pledge myself to you as your retainer to serve and protect you. I would gladly give my life to preserve your own. And yet…” He closes his eyes. “And yet, you are a princess of Nohr. It would be dreadfully improper of someone of my station – an outsider, who had never set foot in your kingdom as anything but an enemy until very recently – to ask anything more of you. To do so would soil your reputation within your own home, subject you to a lifetime of harsh scrutiny and distrust, and…” He swallows. “I love you too much to do that to you.”

Corrin sniffles, and tears fill her eyes. Kaze startles as she raises her hands to dry them, but it’s a losing battle, and the tears continue to fall. “It’s not fair,” she chokes out, “that you would give your life to fight for my sake, and that you do not expect me to do the same for you in return.” 

His eyes widen. “Pardon?”

She takes both his hands in hers and looks at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. “I love you, Kaze. I said it once, and I will say it as many times as I need to for the world to understand. If it’s ruining my reputation that worries you… I’m an illegitimate Nohrian princess of Hoshidan heritage, and I stand against King Garon. There isn’t much left to ruin.”

“And I’m a former servant of the Hoshidan royal family that betrayed his masters on a whim,” Kaze interjects. “I have no right to ask–”

“Then _I_ will ask,” Corrin cuts him off. “Kaze… will you be mine, if I consent to be yours in return?”

He presses his forehead to hers, and prays to every deity he knows of that this is not a dream. “I will, milady. Gladly.”

_[Corrin and Kaze have attained support level S.]_


End file.
